Paradox
by karrma-queen
Summary: Cassandra - Cash - Gray was as normal as you can be. That was until a strange occurrence where she lost a friend and was diagnosed with a life-alerting brain tumor. Now as she's struggling to get a grip, can she find out what is really going on around her.. before her sickness ends her? -third person edit will soon be on wattpad-
1. Playlist

▾ **Playlist** ▾

Thistle & Weeds - Mumford & Sons

Borderline - Tobe Styrke

Doubt - Twenty-One Pilots

Daughter - Medicine (Sound Remedy Remix)

I Found - Amber Run

Monster - Meg Dia

You Found Me - The Fray (Kassum Remix)

Harder Better Faster Stronger Chocolate - Daft Punk vs. The 1975 Disosid Mashup

Take Me Home - Cash Cash (REVOKE Remix

Work Song - Hozier

Lay Me Down - Sam Smith

I am Only Human - Sik World

How to Save a Life - The Fray (Jiggers Bootleg)

Sugar - Robin Schulz ft. Francesco Yates


	2. o1

**➻ before. ➻**

* * *

I was lying on my bed, staring up the prickled ceiling. I ran my trembling hands through my tangled hair, gritting my teeth together. I knew I had only an hour before my friends would be at my front door, picking me up for the 'emEnd of the School Year'/em party, but I had one of the worst headaches pressing against my skull. It had only started two hours ago, though it had now spread out into a full-blown migraine, causing me to moan out in agony. I sucked on the inside of my bottom lip, feeling a bit nauseous and threw an arm over my eyes to block out the light. A groan escaped my lips and I brought my legs to my chest, rolling into a ball.

I wished the pain away. Even though today was the worst, the headaches had been a constant occurrence for the last couple of months. It was nothing I had ever experienced before and it scared me to my wits end. What if I had something wrong with me? Worse than just headaches.

I let out a whimper. The pain was accelerating now; it was as if my head was being split open. It began at my scalp moving down in a burning hot liquid to the base of my skull. I could almost hear the bones cracking and breaking together, causing the worst agony of my life. I held back a sob, feeling my lunch come up./p

Shooting up out of bed, I slapped a hand over my mouth and sprinted into the bathroom, stumbling onto the floor. I flipped the lid up with a loud crash and leaned over, proceeding to lose the contents of my stomach into the bowl. A few minutes of dry-heaving and I felt secure enough to flush the toilet, sliding to the floor. I pressed my cheek to the freezing floor; the cold helping a bit, allowing me to finally relax.

The second I felt better, my body flipped onto my back as it arched up. My vision blacked out with a spurt of white light. I could feel my body seizing, but I was helpless to stop it. My shaking hands clenched into fists and I let out a scream, blinded.

* * *

 _I was standing in the middle of a bustling house, filled from wall-to wall with intoxicated teenagers. Music played from the speakers, but it sounded like a dull roar to me as everyone else danced to the beat. I had a drink in my hand and quickly placed it on a table nearby, eyebrows furrowing in confusion. I knew where I was, it was John's house._

 _"When did I get to the party? thought, frowning down at the sweats I was wearing perviously at my house. A rush of annoyance filled me. Why didn't I change? Why did my friends let me leave the house like this? They knew I had a huge crush on John and wanted him to see me more than the little underclassman. I shook my head, biting on my lip, shoving past the bodies that danced together in the search for my friends._

 _Someone hit me from behind. I swirled around, enraged when I saw their face. I let out a squeak, taking one step back. I didn't recognize the person, but their face was slack, void of emotion. Their brown eyes seemed washed out. The person wasn't even looking at me, craning their neck to look to the second-story_

 _I stumbled back, turning away from them. /emThat was I thought, running my hands up and down my bare, goose-bumped arms. It was freezing within the house, which was quite surprising with the amount of people in the house. They must have the A/C pumping on overtime. I walked onto the porch, shutting the glass door, hoping it would be warmer out here._

 _Everyone out here seemed to be staring upstairs as well. A thick fog was beginning to rise from the ground, swirling around my ankles. It was darker than I had anticipated and strained to spot anyone I knew._

 _I found a redheaded girl standing by the pool. Ava, a friend of mine probably the same one who let me show up in this outfit. I crossed my arms over my chest and stomped over to her, glaring._

 _"Hey, why did you let me show up like this?" I demanded as she took a sip of her drink. It took a minute before her green eyes slid over to me, blank. I narrowed my eyes. "A-are you okay?"_

 _The irises of her eyes seemed to melt out into a puddle at the bottom of her eye-socket, leaving out a milky white. I stumbled back, my hand flying to my throat in shock. I turned to run away from the startling sight when I was suddenly in a bedroom._

 _I knew I had to be going crazy by this point. Nothing about tonight was making any sense and it was beginning to frighten me. I was sitting on a bed, looking towards the bathroom door. It was cracked, a bit of light spilling out. I wanted to go back to the party, however something compelled me to get to my feet and begin to walk towards the door. Dread began to settle at the pit of my stomach as I neared._

 _I gently opened the door when I was met with resistance. I shoved it harder, the door flying open. The bathroom was bright; brighter than the party and it took a minute for my eyes to adjust. When they finally did, I noticed the girl lying next to the bathroom._

 _I furrowed my eyebrows; I knew her. That was Tabby, my best friend whom I've known since I was in diapers. Her blonde hair was spread out like a fan around her face, though it had a reddish tint to it today. I wondered when she changed it since I saw her at the end of the school day earlier. I couldn't see her face, her hair covering it._

 _I scowled; she never could hold her alcohol. I didn't know how many times I had to carry her out of a party or convince her not to go into a strange room with yet another boy. I only hoped she was coherent enough to make it down the stairs where I could get her home._

 _'Tabby," my voice was assertive. I squatted down, reaching out a hand to shake her awake. "Hey, it's time to get up."_

 _When I shook her, her body flopped onto her back and I fell onto my butt in shock. Her blue eyes were staring blankly up towards the ceiling, just like everyone's downstairs, void of anything. I took in a calming breath, hoping it would slow my racing heartbeat and went to gently prop her head up._

 _Maybe she had to puke?_

 _Sliding my hands under her head, I was met with a sticky substance. I laid her back down, pulling them out, wondering what she could have possibly gotten in her hair._

 _I screamed at the sight of blood coated my hands._

* * *

My eyes snapped open. My breathing was coming out in short spurts and I was shaking, my chest heaving up and down erratically. I could barely hear someone saying my name when I ripped out the wires out of my arm and stumbled out of my bed. Blood sputtered out, caressing down in bright swirls. I shoved past the faceless person and ran out into the hallway.

There were people milling around all over, though I didn't pay them any attention. I could see a couple of students from the public school, that was a couple miles down from my private one, that were staring at me. One reached out to stop me, but I saw her.

Ava was standing at the desk, hands flying everywhere as she argued with a older, pretty brunette behind the desk. Her mouth was moving at a fast rate when the room shushed at the bloody, haggard mess I was. She turned slowly to see me and I brushed off the student, walking towards her.

" _Cash_ ," my name whooshed past me. It was filled with grief and I knew it had to be true. /p

I felt hands grab my shoulders and turned to see an orderly grabbing me. My mother was standing behind her, mouth moving, but I couldn't make out a word she said.

" _She's dead_ , isn't she?" I asked, my voice ringing in the silent room. I was being dragged out now, though my eyes were set on the trembling teenager. "Tabby's dead."

Ava's eyes filled with tears and she slowly gave me a nod. "How did you know?"

The orderly had me almost to my room now. "I _just did_." I whispered more to myself than anything before everything went dark again.

* * *

 **A/N: Hey, I'm back.(:**

 **While I know I've yet to even continue on The Girl with the Wolf Tattoo (my old laptop was destroyed a while back and I just got a new one. It is hard to write on a iPhone, so I chose not to) I had this idea while messing around and thought I'll give it a shot.**

 **Tell me what you think. If you love it, hate it, I want to hear it.**


	3. o2

**➻ two. ➻**

 **➻ Present Day. ➻**

* * *

The room was _freezing_.

God. I wish they would turn the heat on. Goosebumps were rising on my arms and I ran my trembling hands over, hoping to stop them. I was sitting on the edge of the bed, wearing only a sickly green gown that hardly covered what it needed to with my bare feet dangling in front of me. A lot has happened since Tabby's tragic death. There were police reports, a couple trials and a bunch of people getting blamed. Apparently after a night of heavily drinking she had stumbled into the upstairs bathroom, tripped on a bath rug and smashed the base of her skull on the edge of the bathroom. The autopsy said she died on impact, she didn't feel a thing.

I didn't attend the funeral.

I've been lying low since my incident. I was still reeling from the too-realistic vision and the thought of attending the funeral had my stomach twisting. I needed to pretend it didn't happen and if I was to go, that would make it too real for me.

I hadn't talked to Ava since my meltdown at the hospital, feigning off her calls until they finally stopped. Unfortunately, I was too preoccupied with my own problems, as selfish as that sounds. I didn't go back to school after the break, instead using online school while I've been in and out of treatments.

Ever since my frightening seizure and vivid hallucination, I hadn't had another one since, but my cautious parents had insisted on multiple CAT scans and hospital visits. The cost alone racked up so high that my responsible mother had to dip into the savings. They expected me to go back to my private school after we found out what was wrong with me, however the tuition alone was going to be way too much. I hadn't mentioned this to my parents yet. I was aware that they would blame themselves, but I was going to attend Beacon Hills Public School. It was better for all of us. I didn't want to see the people associated with Tabby's death and it would save them money.

I shivered, running my hands faster over my arms.

The thin blanket that was on the bed when I arrived was now crumpled on the floor, forgotten and pathetic. I wanted to reach for it and snatch it, wrapping it over my pale legs, but I held it back. I could feel two pairs of stares on me.

I glanced over, my own blue eyes red-rimmed and bleary.

My mother was sitting on the arm rest of the chair near the window, watching me. She's been doing that a lot since my accident. As if she was waiting for me to go off again. She had only told me bits and pieces of what had occurred through her eyes, but it sounded frightening. I didn't blame her for gazing at me like a ticking time bomb. My father was seated next to her, dark hair sticking up, biting the fingernails on his left hand, the other calloused hand resting on my mother's shivering thigh.

They were nervous.

The door opened then and a doctor stepped in with a slightly frazzled nurse. They were both dressed in green scrubs, the doctor had a white coat thrown over her outfit and her light blonde hair was tied to the nape of her long neck. She was murmuring lowly to the tanned nurse next to her, gesturing wildly to the papers in her hands. The nurse gave a quick nod, placing a couple of things on the desk across from me. She glanced over at me, brown eyes filled with pity. I looked away. She left a moment later.

The doctor gazed around the room until she finally gave us a hello and sat on the chair opposite of me. Her clear green irises squinted at me, studying my body from my wiggling toes to my pulled back dark hair. "Hello, Cassandra. I'm Doctor Murphy." Her voice was raspy as if she smoked a pack of smokes a day. She tapped the end of her red pen on the clipboard, humming. "How are you feeling today?"

I quirked an eyebrow. Well, today? Awful. I could feel a headache coming on. I felt like I was about to spew vomit all over the occupants of the room. I felt like I was about to break down every hour of the day. I felt like crying to the sky, wondering what the hell was wrong with me. I was depressed and broken. I hardly ate; half the time I didn't leave my bed. I hadn't seen any of my friends and I didn't want to.

"Oh, I'm good." I mustered with a small grin. I dug my nails into my bare thighs.

My mother cleared her throat. I glanced over to see her getting to her feet, eyes crazed. "Doctor Murphy. She may be good today, but we've been noticing quite a difference." Her voice was shaking and she swallowed twice in that short sentence. I frowned. My mother, who had once been a strong therapist able to handle everything, seemed to be unraveling in front of me. It was nerve-wracking. "We're worried about her. She appears to be getting worse and worse. We want to know what's wrong with her!"

The doctor looked over at me, eyebrows raised to her hairline. "Care to comment on that, Cassandra?"

I shrugged, scratches were beginning to appear on my legs. I dug in deeper, gritting my teeth together.

"Well, we have her results back." Her voice was lower and she had moved her chair closer to my parents, the wheel squeaking loudly. "Would you like to step away where we can discuss them?"

Blood was beginning to well up, collecting under my fingernails. I continued. "I would like to her." I paused, watching as the doctor's eyes slid over to me. "It's about me; I want to know."

"She's right." My father spoke up, his voice gruff. "I appreciate it, but I think we would want to hear this together. As a family." He nodded at me and I felt grateful.

The doctor got to her feet, nodding slowly. She walked over to where the nurse had set the things down and slid some of the photos into the X-Ray. The lights hummed while they flickered on. My brain was suddenly on display, however I was unable to understand the random colors that seem to explode from every other direction.

"Now, this confused us as well." She addressed us. "We had originally thought it was a brain tumor in the temporal lobe of Cassandra's brain, though she is showing multiple symptoms of them being in other regions as well." She brought the clipboard to her chest. "In addition, we were, uh, unable to locate any tumor."

"What does that mean? I don't have a tumor then?" I peeked over at my parents.

"Not exactly." She responded. "Just because we couldn't find it, does not mean it's not there. We're quite certain that you do have one. As you're aware, you've been developing chronic nausea and a loss of appetite, which are presumably associated with pressure within the skull." I nodded, feeling my head pound. "Now if it is in the temporal lobe, that would explain the hallucinations and other unusual perceptions your mother had discussed with me,"

I glanced over again. My mother had a hand over her mouth, unable to look away from my colored brain. My father's eyes were squinted, staring at the doctor.

She continued, "Seizures occur in approximately thirty-five percent of all brain tumor patients. The probability depends on the location of the tumor, as some parts of the brain are more prone to seizure activity than other. Others can affect the whole brain and result in loss of consciousness."

I was trembling at this point. My head was hurting and blood was dripping down my legs, but no one paid any attention. "I'm confused, do I have a brain tumor or not?"

"We, uh, think so. Unfortunately, until we can locate it, our options are rather limited." My father let out an agonized noise under his breath, but I kept my burning eyes on the uncomfortable doctor. She glanced over at my crumpling parents and my defiance stare. "There isn't much we can do at this moment."

I squeezed my eyes shut, wincing from the headache before hissing through my gritted teeth, "Am I going to die if you can't find it?"

The doctor shifted her weight from foot to foot, playing with a strand of her hair now. "Luckily, Cassandra, you're young. Which means you have a better chance than say - a forty year old coming in with the same condition. We don't expect you to die anytime soon." She looked over at my parents again. "While it is troublesome, with the right supervision for her seizures, it doesn't seem life-threatening. Right now."

My mother sniffled. "So what's our options?"

"Well, at this moment, I would recommend not straining her much. A lot of rest would help. Just monitor her fits, make sure her school is aware and we'll continue to test her in the following months."

I pressed the palms of my hands to my temple, moving them in a fast, circular motion, the headache increasing it's pain. There was a knock at the door and the nurse entered again, standing by the threshold. The doctor raised a finger. "I'll be with you in just a moment, McCall." The nurse nodded, waiting. "Are you alright, Cassandra?"

"Cassie?" My father pressed when I didn't respond right away to the doctor.

"I'm fine."

A moment later and I gasped out, gagging on my own tongue.

"Cassie!" My father got to his feet, stumbling forward. His hands found my face and he looked at me, his eyes filled with fear.

I raised a hand, beckoning him off. "Stop, dad, I'm fine. I promise." He backed off slightly and I wrapped my arms around my chest.

"What is happening to her?" My mother screeched.

"I think it's the nausea hitting her, she should be fine in a moment." The doctor sounded uncertain.

My body slammed back onto the bed. I laid there, staring up at the ceiling. I whimpered as my head threatened to split open. My heart began to pound faster and faster, my breathing coming out in short gasps. The nurse rushed over to me when I began to rack my fingernails over my skull. She grabbed my wrists, pinning them down to my side and shouting for help. I looked up at her, perplexed by the dull hum that filled my ears. She was keeping my bucking body from falling off the bed.

" _You're going to be fine._ "

Everything blacked out.

* * *

 _I was downtown. This I knew, I could see the lights of the hospital a couple blocks west and I knew my house was a few miles north. I was standing in a desolate alley that I didn't recognize, wearing my hospital gown and I was barefoot. It was raining hard, causing my hair to paste against my face and the gown to stick uncomfortably to my body._

 _I wrapped my arms over my chest and began to walk slowly to the mouth of the alley, nervous and cautious. I shook the hair out of my face and shivered._

 _I hadn't noticed it before, though there was a bike fallen near me. It's front wheel was still spinning and there was a car idling nearby. Was that my car? I hoped so, I really needed to get out of the rain. I squinted against the harsh pattering, trying to see if I recognized the vehicle.  
_

 _"Isaac!"_

 _I glanced around terrified when the car door opened and slammed shut. An older man began jogging in my direction and I hid behind a dumpster, peeking over to see him peering at the bike._

 _"Isaac! Isaac!" He took off his glasses, eyes narrowing as he scanned the area. "Isaac?" He shuddered, cleaning them off and placing them back on his beaked nose. I followed his gaze, unable to spot anything down the alley. The man grunted under his breath, shaking his head in annoyance. "Okay! That's enough! Let's go." His hands thundered together. "Grab your bike and let's go!"_

 _Silence responded. The man squinted his beady eyes again before his face washed out, paling._

 _"Isaac?"_

 _I craned my head to see a person standing at the end. I wondered if this was the Isaac he was trying to find, but it slowly crouched down. I stumbled back when a tail flickered behind it and it let out a low hiss. The man skidded back, turning and running. "Holy shi -," His voice cut off when he slammed his car door shut._

 _There was a sputtering now as the man tried to start his car, the engine failing. My heart thundered in my chest, the creature flying into the man's door. It's long crawls dug into the door frame and a loud whine was heard as it was ripped off of its hinges. The crumpled door began to fly towards me and I dove out of the way. I landed on the concrete with a flash of white light and darkness._

* * *

My eyes snapped open. I was surrounded by multiple nurses and my doctor staring down at me. I found the one that had told me that it was going to be okay, however her face was pale. I tried to sit up, but found it impossible. They had tied my wrists to the bed. I let out a low sigh, shaking myself from the troubling hallucination. As crazy as it sounds, the first one felt like it was happening in real time, this one seemed like it was in the near future.

The frightened nurse unlatched my cuffs and I sat up, wiping that thought out of my head. There was no way that could happen and in addition, there was no way I could predicate the future. This wasn't _That's So Raven_. I rubbed at my sore wrists, looking up at the startled faces that surrounded me.

"Are you alright, Cassandra?" The nurse who had released me asked. I looked over, remembering that the doctor had called her McCall. Her eyes were widened, hands brought to her chest.

I gave a weak nod. "Y-y-yeah I'm good."

My mother had taken a couple steps back, her hand on her throat. She kept shaking her head. "Cassie, your eyes." I placed my cheek on my knee, letting out a low groan of pain. "They were white."

"Her eyes must've rolled to the back of her head, darling." My father argued and the doctor agreed with a small comment.

"No, no." I opened my eyes to see her being held up by my father. "Y-you didn't see. It-it was as if . . ." Her chest was heaving, her eyes dancing from the nurses, to the doctors, to my father before landing on me. They were wild. "Her irises . . . they . . . melted. There was no rolling to the back of her head, they were there one second, the next they seem to fade!"

My father ran a hand over my mom's head. "Honey, it's okay."

My mother was shaking now, harder than before. I could see the doctor sharing a glance with a nurse. "I'm not crazy! T-there is something wrong with her." Her finger pointed at me. "She - she's not right."


	4. 03

**➻ three. ➻**

 **➻ A/N: Thank you floralwoof and Crys for your sweet reviews! ✿ I really appreciate you taking the time to do that.**

 **Crys: To answer your first question, yes they were mentioned in the background in the first chapter. (: And there is definitely a possibly of her name being a hint.**

 **In addition, I apologize by how slow this story is starting out. There's just so much information you need to know about Cassandra and her family before we can indulge into the world of Beacon Hills. No worries, we'll get there.**

* * *

My hands were trembling together in a quick recession as I separated them to reach for the dark hair cascading over my right shoulder. I brushed the long bangs out of my black-lined eyes with my pink, glistening lips frowning back in my reflection. I swallowed the lump that was rising up my throat, trying to take in a deep breath to calm my rapidly racing heart. I assessed my outfit for my first day at this new school: a maroon sleeveless dress that came to mid-thigh and hid my self-inflicted scratches. I had paired the short dress with a pair of boots and the matching jacket. Continuing to pout at myself in the full length mirror, I slid on a couple of long gold necklaces that matched the rings that clanked together on my long fingers.

 _I'm prepared for today._ I tried to remind myself to bring the anxiety down. I had received my schedule three days before and I was assured that the school wasn't very big, therefore it should be pretty easy to navigate. I was aware where to park my car and when to report to the office when I arrived. I had my doctor's statement crumpled at the bottom of my bag, ready to give the principal when the time came. The older, leather shoulder bag was filled with brand-new, fresh notebooks and folders, waiting eagerly to be filled with this year's content. I knew what my number my locker was, the location and the combination. _I was ready._

Was I, though? I scowled. No matter how much I tried to reassure myself, my stomach kept twisting and pulling. I ran a hand through my wavy hair, sitting on the edge of my bed. I brought my chin down to my knees and closed my eyes, inhaling in and exhaling out.

I thought I was okay, for the most part. I hadn't had a headache in over a week, which was surprising and quite delightful. My last week, however, was filled with constant testing and being under my father's close supervision. My mother had all but avoided me the last couple of weeks, which caused a heavy weight to land on my shoulders. The fear, the confusion that was in her eyes, her statement continuing to ring in my head. How I wasn't right. I wondered what she meant by that. She had sounded positively terrified as if I was going to open the sky and let it rain down over her head.

I shook my head, knocking that thought out. I stood up, pacing around the interior of the room, thinking of something else.

I remembered asking my parents if they would give me permission to transfer to the public school. Right after the appointment to which I was finally diagnosed, we were sitting in the backseat of my father's beloved SUV. I brought it up almost immediately. I couldn't wait, though I should have, given my mother's broken state.

My father had seem relieved. While both of my parents used to make quite enough for the three of us, our financial state was crumpling, stretching us to the limit. I could see it growing thin and I didn't want to get to the point where my school would kick me out. I was willing to bow out gracefully. "Oh, Cassandra." He had heaved out a sigh, the edge of his lips tugging down, but his eyes gave him away. "Are you sure?"

I nodded, him staring at me in the rearview mirror. I didn't meet his eyes while I played with the edge of my nail. "Yeah, dad. I am." My voice was small.

I finally look up and met his eyes. "Alright, I'll start on the paperwork when we get home."

"Thank you, dad." I gave him a small grin, looking over at my mother in the passenger seat. Her thin arms were wrapped around her knees, brought to her chest. She had only stopped shaking a couple of minutes ago and her blank eyes stared forward. Her mouth was in a straight line and her face was pale. "Mommy? Is that okay with you?"

A few moment passed before her head slowly turned in my direction. Even though her eyes were on me, they seemed to stare past, as if she was somewhere else. They were completely void of any emotion. "Mhm," she finally grunted, turning forward again. My father had reached for her knee and laid it upon to which she visibly flinched. I had sat back, feeling dread settle in the pit of my stomach.

The next day, my father had sent in my transcripts, my mother had locked herself in her bedroom and I was a student at Beacon Hills High.

I stood up, sliding on my jacket and realizing that now was a good time to head out. I couldn't dwell on the past much longer, this I knew. I slung my bag over my shoulder, reaching for my phone and keys. I slid them into my jacket pocket and flicked off my bedroom light, shutting the door quietly behind me. Once in the hallway, I took a couple of steps to the right, towards the slightly ajar bedroom door. It was dark within, but I could hear a low moaning coming from within. My mother has yet to leave her room and my father had warned me about being too loud, or bothering her. I closed my eyes, pressing my forehead against the cool wall. I wanted to say something - anything - to her. I wanted her to realize that I wasn't a monster, that I loved her. I remained there for a minute, then letting out a sigh and heading down the front stairs.

"Bye, mom." I whispered, pursing my lips.

My father was seated at the kitchen table, the sunlight streaming through the windows. He had the local paper in his hand and he was sipping at his coffee. He was already in his uniform for work. He worked at the sheriff's office, transporting prisoners from the small jail to the bigger one upstate. He worked alongside the sheriff for years now, though I knew very little about him and his family.

I opened the cupboard by the sink for a to-go container when my father's voice boomed, "Hey, Cassie!" I frowned behind his back at the nickname, hating it. I decided not to argue, pouring some slightly chilled coffee into the container. I screwed on the top, turning towards him while taking a long sip. I didn't bother with sugar or cream. "You nervous for today?"

I quirked an eyebrow, shrugging a shoulder. My stomach twisted. "Of course not, dad, I've got this."

He gave me a wide smile, "That's my girl! Got your doctor's note?"

I patted my bag and grabbed a pop-tart from the cabinet nearby. I ripped it open, taking a large bite. "So, is, uh, mom going to come down? Wish me a good first day?"

My father's aging face fell. He scooted his chair back, it squealing loudly against the linoleum floor. I flinched form the loud noise and he walked over to me. He placed his large hands on my shoulders, peering into my eyes before bringing me into a suffocating hug. "Have a good day, Cassie. You're going to do great things."

My stomach twisted again.

* * *

I pulled into the school's bustling parking lot twenty minutes later. I eased my car in between a beat down Jeep and a gray Honda that was luckily near the front entrance. I cut the engine, dropping my keys into the bag and stepping out. I slammed the door behind me, surveying the area, the crisp fall air greeting me. I pulled my coat tighter around my chest, letting a shiver run down my spine. The wind blew, tossing my curls around my face and I struggled to pull a chunk behind my ear. Some of the school's students was mingling outside, greeting each other. I could see a couple of boys in some sport's uniform, slapping hands. I grazed my eyes over the entire area before heading towards the front.

I was playing with one of the crystal pendants that hung from my neck when I was roughly shoulder-checked. I stumbled forward. My eyes snapped up, startled. A tall, curly headed boy was walking briskly away, shooting a look behind his shoulder at me and I knew he was the shover. I furrowed my eyebrows, shouting, "Excuse you, dude!"

The boy peeked over his shoulder again. His back was hunched over. It appeared like he was trying to disappear, though he was over six foot, so that would be difficult. "Sorry!" His face reddened. He rubbed a hand behind his neck, looking like he wanted to say more. A second past before he turned away and hurried up the front stairs, pushing open the doors and disappearing inside the school.

I rolled my eyes at his rude behavior, following him inside. "What an ass," I mumbled to myself, pursing my lips while I entered.

The school was bright with light and students were chatting, pulling books from inside their lockers and heading to their first period class. I moved out of traffic's way, looking for the office. I was searching for a minute, or two, before finding a sign across the hall signaling me in the right direction. I headed that way, grimacing at the school's topic of gossiping. Some popular girl (I didn't hear her name) _was found wandering around the woods, naked_ , their excited chattering told me, _her friend's aunt is a murderer_. I shook my head.

I opened the office door and a fresh scent of cinnamon hit me. I cringed slightly at the overwhelming smell, walking up to the frazzled secretary. Her green eyes were slightly bugged out, frizzy blonde hair in a braid down her wide back. She kept glancing behind at the closed principal's door, flipping through various manila folders. Her round face was red and slightly sweaty. I scanned the room for someone less busy to question, but everyone else seem just as frantic - maybe even more. They dashed from the metal cabinets, to the ringing phones, to their desks, never nearing the office. I crossed my arms, unzipping my jacket. It was a lot warmer in here.

I cleared my throat. The woman's head shot up, flipping shut her folder. Her eyes narrowed, accusing as if I was trying to read the contents. I suppressed an eye-roll, plastering on a smile. "May I help you?" Her voice was rushed, low.

"My name is Cassandra Gray." I responded, sucking on my bottom lip. Her eyebrows cocked up, turning in her seat to shuffle a couple of papers around. "I'm new, I'm supposed to have a meeting with the principal?"

The secretary faced me again, holding a folder that held my papers within. She flipped it open and scanned it before setting it on an overflowing wire basket and gave me an appraising look. "New students don't usually have meetings with Mr. Joh - uh, Mr. Argent."

That last name sounded vaguely familiar. I wondered when I heard it. "I know," I gave her a toothy grin. "I'm a special circumstance."

The woman pouted. "Well, it's going to be a while, Cassandra. It's a busy, busy day. You can take a seat right there and wait." She pointed with her fuzzy-tip pen over to one of the uncomfortable looking chairs. "He'll be with you as soon as he can."

"Thank -" I tried to say, but the woman waved me away and answered the blaring phone next to her.

I followed her direction and sat on the chair. I adjusted, trying to find a good spot. I sat there for a moment, tapping my fingers on my bare leg before pulling out my iPhone from my bag and turning the power on.

No one said anything about it, so I assumed that it was okay to use in here. I leaned against the back of the seat, crossing my legs and flipped open the Tumblr app. I hoped this wouldn't take too long.

* * *

I had given up on the entertainment on my phone when it reached five percent. I cursed the phone and it's poor battery, shoving it back into my bag and crossing my arms. The office was still bustling with life and I wondered how long I would have to wait now. I've been sitting here for about an hour, seemingly caught up in my fair share of Beacon Hills' drama.

About ten minutes ago, a very handsome boy had blown in, agitated. He had sent a glare in my direction as if I was the reason he was here before whirling on the two police officers that had followed him in. I recognized the older one as Sheriff Stilinski and one of his deputies. The sheriff had his arms crossed over his chest and appeared just as annoyed with the younger boy as he was of him. I didn't blame the sheriff; the boy looked like he was about two seconds away from throwing a full-blown temper tantrum. I sat there, wondering if the sheriff was going to recognize me. However, just as fast as they arrived, they were ushered into a side room where I assumed the boy was going to be interrogated. I wanted to peek in, having stopped myself twice in the last couple of minutes, when the principal's door finally opened.

The office seemed to shush. "Gray, Cassandra?" A man stepped out. I stood up, surveyed the man as I ambled over. He was older with wrinkles, white hair and a low, gravelly voice. He had dark, beady eyes and the face of a trusting grandfather. Though, there was something unsettling about them, something about the iciness behind his eyes that made me take an involuntarily stepped back. I straighten up, correcting my mistake and reached him. He stuck out a head. "Gerard Argent, welcome to Beacon Hills."

I shook his chalky hand, "It's nice to meet you, Mr. Argent." My stomach rolled with nausea at our touch and I quickly dropped my hand, shoving both of them into my jacket pocket.

"Likewise," He beckoned me into his office. I followed and sat on one of the chairs that faced his desk, setting my bag by my feet. He shut the door behind him and slowly made his way to his chair. I peered around to see a couple of boxes filled with papers stacked up b the wall, another one set on the desk. Mr. Argent's lips separated into a smile. "Excuse the mess, I only started this morning."

"Uh, no problem." I rubbed my lips together. The man squinted his eyes at me, his chair squeaking as he sat. I hurriedly turned away and dug into my bag to collect my doctor's handwritten note. He was beginning to make me nervous.

Mr. Argent cleared his throat while he waited. "I'm not usually supposed to have these get-together's with new students, but I heard you're a special circumstance." I shivered, sitting back up and flipping the hair out of my eyes. He was still giving me his unsettling smile.

"Uh, yeah." I handed over the slip. He paused, making me hold it in front of him for a minute until he finally grasped the edge and read it quickly. "I-I have a brain tumor that causes me to have seizures." My voice pitched high in the middle, still unable to fully grasp my statement. I swallowed. "My doctor needs you to be aware of the symptoms, in case it happened while I was at school."

The man nodded, slowly setting the paper back onto his desk. He watched me as I fidgeted, growing more and more uncomfortable under his gaze. "I saw; nausea, headaches, pain, which all seem to lead up to these _seizures_." There was a critical edge to his voice. I bit the inside of my lip. It sounded as if he didn't believe the paper. I wondered what that was about. "And it says here that you might wake up, taking about these _hallucinations_?"

I nodded, cautiously, unsure how to answer.

He squinted his eyes at me, staring for a moment later before clapping his hands together loudly. I jumped. "Alright! I'll make sure your teachers are aware of your condition." I flinched. "I hope you enjoy your time here and thank you for your patience, Cassandra. Come to me if you have any problems finding your classes, your teachers, fellow students. I'm more than happy to accommodate you."

I raised quickly, slinging my bag over my shoulder and backing out of the room. "Um, thank you.. Sir."

I threw open the door, hurrying out of the office, keeping my head down. I got caught behind the secretary who was making her slow way out of the room and as she pushed open the door, I eased past her, nearly running over one of the students that were waiting outside.I barely glanced up, hardly getting a good look of the person. He was a boy, pale skin, honey-brown eyes and lanky. He was accompanied by another person, but I apologized without meeting their gazes and turned away.


	5. 04

**➻ four. ➻**

* * *

A long week of trying to keep up with the suffocating schoolwork and juggling my appointments had finally came to an end. Luckily, it was a Friday and I had two whole days to look forward to. I only had one more appointment in an hour and I was free to do nothing. I eased my car into the driveway and shut off the engine. I glanced up at the foreboding house before placing my burning forehead onto my steering wheel. I sucked in a breath, remembering how lonely the last week was. I had yet to make any friends - not that I blame anyone other than myself for that. I hadn't tried to put forward any kind of an effort to get to know anyone, shutting down a couple of kind people who tried to chat with me. I found myself sitting at a lunch table with another kid who didn't seem to have any other friends. We talked once or twice, though I wouldn't consider us best friends - he was nice, though. Insisting I call him Boyd, rather than his first name Vernon. I understood that and told him to call me Cash, rather than Cassandra. Other than lunch with him, I mostly kept my head down. Even though my chemistry teacher always made it a point to get me riled up, shooting conceding comments my way. It didn't help that my partner in that class was currently M.I.A, making the labs harder and giving Mr. Harris an even bigger excuse to mock me.

I spent a couple more minutes, musing over my overall dull week. I kicked open my door and got out, slinging my school bag over my shoulder. I shoved my phone and keys into the my pocket, heading up the lawn. The living room light was on and both of my parent's cars were in the driveway. I knew my mother had taken some time off of work, but I couldn't fathom a reason why my mother would still be home. He's usually in the city, doing paperwork, by now.

I pulled open the glass door, letting it close behind me. I flipped the lock and began to head into the kitchen when I stopped. My mother was standing at the bottom of the stairs, wearing only a ratty bathrobe and swaying back and forth. Her dark hair was frizzy and laid in greasy strands by her gaunt, pale face.

"Hi, mom." I greeted her uncertainly. I tried to brush past her so I could head up to my bedroom and drop my bag off. Though, she had stopped me and held up her hand as if it was a wielding weapon. I was perplexed, wondering what she had wanted, given the last week of no communication. "Mom?"

Her jaw worked on overtime and I ran my hands over my arms, goosebumps rising. I attempted to give her a weak smile when her mouth craned open and an enraged noise spilled out. My eyebrows shot up. She lunged forward, her hands finding her my throat and slamming into my body. I stumbled back into the wall, her tiny hands tightening. I gasped out then, realizing that I was unable to suck in a breath. She brought me up, stronger than I had ever known and my toes barely skimmed the floor. My eyes were wide, terrified while she screeched Bible verses at me.

"Demon, I order you to leave my daughter alone! Back to hell with you!" Her voice was ragged and I clawed at her hands. She didn't seem to register the pain nor the blood welling up. Panic began to set in.

"Mom! What are you doing?" I struggled to demand, though my words was barely a puff of air and now my lungs were out of oxygen. They burned and my vision was beginning to sprout black spots. I could feel my heavy arms begin to drop when suddenly I was dropped to the ground. I landed on my knees, pain shooting up my legs. My forehead landed on the ground. I remained there, hands running over my swelling throat, lungs expanding with ever suck of fresh air. My mouth was agape.

"NO!" I glanced up to see my father. He was holding my mother back, arms encircled her small waist, rearing her up. His eyes were wide and filled with fear. Her face, however, was beet red and her legs kicked out. I scrambled back when they almost hit me in the face. I cowered by the front door, watching in horror. "She has a demon inside of her! I _just want my daughter back_!"

As suddenly as this had occurred, she stopped fighting. My father stumbled at the deadweight and they both fell to the floor. My mother brought herself up into a crawl, slowly moving towards me. I got to my feet, hands struggling to open to door. "I'm so sorry, Cassie baby, oh my god. I'm so sorry."

I flicked the door lock. "Cassandra, you shouldn't go - " My father tried.

"Dad, uh, I've got an appointment at the hospital." I managed to say, though my voice was weak. "I-I'm going to go there now."

My mother was still crawling towards me, eyes crazed, lips trying up into a smile. "Cassandra - " my father attempted again.

"I-I'm sorry." I pulled open the door and tore through the lawn, heading to my car.

* * *

"Ugh," I wiped the wetness from my cheeks on my sweater and wrapped myself up, shivering.

After the incident at my house, I did indeed go to my appointment. Luckily, I had a scarf in my backseat and had woven it around my neck, hiding the bruises that looked suspiciously like fingers. I had made it through two hours of tests and questions about my physical and mental state. Having not had a seizure or one of my vivid hallucinations since my last meeting made it uneventful. Even though this should have been good news, my doctor had seemed almost disappointed. I only assumed it was because I was their latest _wonder_ and they were all tripping over themselves trying to figure out what was happening to me.

I ambled down the deserted hallway in the west wing, letting the tears freely fall down my face. I remained downcast, watching my brown boots hit the floor with a quiet thunk. I was too absorbed in the sounds of my footfalls that I had hardly noticed the hand that appeared from within one of the empty rooms. It encased my wrist quickly, pulling me in and the door slammed shut behind me.

I fell forward, the hand holding me no longer. I managed to catch myself on the bed before falling over. I turned around slowly, back pressing against the mattress. The lights above me flickered on with a loud hum, revealing a man standing a few feet in front of me. He had a small smile playing on his lips. He had raven hair and narrowed green eyes, arms crossed - clad in a leather jacket. I had a fleeting thought of how attractive he was until fear and rage filled me.

"Um, what the hell?" I snapped, glaring at the man. He continued to smirk. I wanted to side-step him and dash out of the room. Though, I did not know this man and I didn't know what his intentions were, leading me into this room. He could hurt me if I got too close. I slid my hand into my front pocket and felt the top of my iPhone. I was sure I could grab it and call 911 before the man could stop me.

I began to edge it out.

"Cassandra." His voice was liquid and the sound of my name leaving his mouth startled me, causing my hand to jerk out of my pocket. My phone clattered to the floor, sliding to his feet. He cocked his head, raising an eyebrow slightly. My heart pounded in my chest, the only chance of him not murdering me was now in-between his clunky boots. "You don't have to feel like this anymore."

"Feel l-like what?" I tested him.

He gave me a small smile, stepping closer. I froze when he neared, his finger playing with the edge of my woven scarf. My body trembled, his finger grazing my neck. I looked away, biting the inside of my lip. "You feel hopeless. Weak. Unable to fight any longer." My fists clenched. "I've heard about you. Brain tumors - inoperable. Self-esteem at an all time low, crazy mother." He tugged down the fabric on my neck, revealing the bruises. "I can help you."

I scoffed. "Get off of me."

"I can help." He repeated. His hand left my neck and settled on my shoulder. I glanced over to see that his eyes were no longer green, but now a glowing, blood red. I wrenched my shoulder out of his grip, not revealing that his nails had seeped through my sweater. I whimpered out when it tore my skin open, blood spilling to the surface. I looked at his hand to see long, dark fingernails and my stomach rolled in disgust. I shoved him back, shoulder protesting in pain.

I gazed at the claw - CLAW?! - marks he had created on me. I shot a glare at him, placing a hand on it to stop the bleeding. A minute past before I peeked under my hand to check and see how it was doing, while trading off telling the man to leave me alone.

My hand dropped in shock.

The skin that had torn was now healed. The only evidence of the wound was the torn and stained sweater.

I looked over at the man whose eyes were wide. He took a step towards me, his eyebrows furrowing. "What are you?" He whispered.

Rage filled me and I shot a hook at his jaw. Pain shot my arm and the man didn't even seem startled by my weak throw. I pushed past him, forgetting my fallen phone and tearing out of the room. I slammed the door shut behind me, heading towards the busy corridors. My hand founded my shoulder, fingers running over the unblemished skin.

What the hell happened in there?


	6. o5

➹ **five**. ➷

* * *

I knew that I was scowling.

Lips were curled in order to show a sliver of my teeth, eyes narrowed into silts, brows furrowed and arms crossed over my stomach. It wasn't my most attractive look, looking like I was pained. However, I sincerely doubted the woman across the desk cared either way. She was one of the school's counselors and happened to be assigned to me after my first week here. She had insisted that I showed up an hour before classes was to start, to discuss my 'transition'. I was almost certain that this was my father's doing. He had mentioned Sunday morning about me needing someone to talk to. To be honest, I think he just wanted me out of the house. No longer having to see the reason why his wife was on the fifth floor of the hospital - the psyche ward.

After her crazed attack on me, my dad was left to no choice, other than to call the local police department. I had just arrived home just in time to see my haggard mother being forced into the back of an idling sheriff car. I took note that my dad had refused to meet my eyes. His arms were crossed over his wide chest and had barely glanced over when my tires crunched over the gravel before turning back to the young deputy. The yard was filled with various police officers, some moving to and fro, some speaking to each other. I wondered why they needed half the station for one woman. I opened my car door and stepped out, eyes grazing over the scene. My stomach was at my knees, heart pounding, the scene too much to handle. I managed to catch the pitying look the aging sheriff sent my way, causing my face to flush red. He nodded hello, getting into his car and drove my mother away.

"Cassandra?" Ms. Morrello broke me from my flashback.

I shook my head, peering up, irritated. I had no personal vendetta against this woman. She seemed like a very intelligent woman whom was also quite beautiful. With smooth dark skin and trusting brown eyes, it wasn't a surprise that she could wrangle out student's outermost feelings. I, on the other hand, did not want to be here, nor did she need to know how I was feeling this dreary Monday morning.

"Cash," I corrected her for the second time during this meeting. "What was the question again?"

She tilted her head. Her hair crashed together in silky, long stands. Perfect and not a piece out of place. Put together, something I was unfamiliar with. I self-consciously brought a trembling hand to my own hair. I hadn't had the energy this morning to run a brush through the tangled locks, only throwing it into a lazy bun. I was beginning to regret that decision. It was evident that this school prided themselves on their appearance. After all, we did live in California.

Waiting for her response, I slid my eyes over to the right, looking out of the window. It faced a glistening field, empty and serene with the morning dew settling on top of the grass blades. I ran my tongue along the bottom of my lip.

Ms. Morrello cleared her throat, noticing that I was drifting off once again. I turned back to her, cocking an eyebrow. "I had asked how you first week was?" She paused, bringing a tiny hand to brush the hair out of her face. "Your teacher didn't have much to say about you.

I sucked on my teeth, shrugging. Not surprising, given I hadn't said much in the classes. "It was uneventful."

Her eyebrows quirked up, interested. "I see. Care to elaborate?"

I swallowed the lump that was beginning to rise up my throat. "I'm just trying to remain under the radar." I answered quickly, without glazing over my thoughts, blurting out the first thing that popped into my head. It was almost as if this woman was pulling it out of me. "I know exactly how it feels to be in the 'in crowd'. I just don't feel like making any kind of an impression here. I just want to slide past, graduate and move away."

"Why is it that you want to move away so bad, Cassandra?" She retorted. "Could these feelings be because of your mother's recent events?"

"No." I snapped, lip curling. "This has nothing to do with my mother."

Ms. Morrello tapped the tip of her pen on her desk and I squirmed under her gaze. I peeked at the clock, feeling a sense of relief wash over me. It seemed like we only had ten minutes left until the first bell should ring. I slung my bag over my shoulder.

"Looks like time is pretty much up. I've got to get to my locker." Ms. Morrello stood as if to stop me, but I was already on my feet.

 _Too fast,_ I scolded myself as my head swarmed. My stomach twisted, forcing me to swallow the bile rising up my throat. I placed a heavy hand on the edge of the counselor's desk, my legs buckling under me.

I managed to catch myself before smacking my forehead on the edge. "Cassandra?" I heard her concerned voice asking me. "Are you alright?"

I gave her a weak nod when her hand landed on my back, coaxing me to my feet.

I shot away from her, keeping my eyes downcast. Flashes of darkness erupted in my eyesight as multiple pairs of blood red eyes opened, staring at me. As soon as it had begun, I was back in the tiny room, Ms. Morrello startled face on me.

"I'm okay." I slowly backed out. "I'm going to go though."

As confused as the woman was, she could not keep me in the room. I brushed past her, careful not to let her touch me and slid the door open. I hurried out, letting the door shut behind me.

I turned to head down to the front steps of the school, to catch my breath when I was nearly tackled to the ground. I stumbled backwards, catching myself on the edge of a locker. My eyes were down, though anger flushed through me.

"Hey, are you alright?" I glanced up to see an attractive Hispanic boy gazing at me with worry. He was standing next to a pale, lanky boy who had his arms crossed over his chest, frowning. His honey-hazel eyes were watching me carefully while I gave the other boy a curt nod.

"I'm fine, thanks." I spat, still seething at the abrupt push.

"Good." He paused, narrowing his eyes slightly at me. "I'm Scott and this is my friend Stiles. You're Cassandra, right? I remember you being introduced the first day."

I pressed my lips together. "Cash."

"Well, it's nice to meet you, Cash." Scott responded easily, despite the malice in my voice.

I finally realized how bitchy I was being to the two boys. Even though the greeting was less than ideal, I could see them making an effort. Or at least Scott was, Stiles still staring. I heaved in a sigh, giving them an easy smile.

"You too." The first bell rang, ending our conversation. I looked over my shoulder, disappointed that I couldn't get outside, though it was nice to at least know the names of a couple of my fellow students. "I've got to get to my locker before second bell. I'll ... I'll see you guys later."

* * *

Scott was standing in an empty classroom, leaning against the teacher's desk. He knew he was going to be late for first period, though he owed someone a favor. He waited, rather impatiently, for the other person on the ringing line to pick up. His best friend, Stiles, was tapping the toe of his sneaker onto the floor. It was obvious that his friend was more than annoyed by their little mission.

"Did she smell like anything?" Stiles pried.

"No, not really."

"Not really?"

A click was heard as the person answered. "Did you talk to her?" Derek demanded. He was aware there was something going on with the brunette in Scott's school and needed to know what was up with her. He hated being out of the loop and wanted answers.

"Yeah, I did." Scott responded, annoyed with the older werewolf. Stiles pushed against the other side of his phone, straining to listen to the call.

"And?"

"And what, Derek? She smelled and seemed human."

There was a scoff. "So, you didn't notice anything off about her?" A pause. "I can tell when you're lying."

"Okay!" Scott threw his hands into the air, nearly missing Stiles' head. He rolled his eyes. "Maybe, she smelled a little different, but that doesn't mean anything. She's just another human!"

"I'm not so sure about that and I plan on finding out."

Stiles glanced over at his friend, detecting the determination in the alpha's voice. "Derek, just leave her alone." He voiced.

"We'll figure it out, Scott. Together; as a pack."

 _Click_.


	7. o6

✿ **six** **.** ✿

 **A/N: hey guys x I wanted to throw in a quick apology for the lack of updating. I've been super busy preparing for the holidays, juggling work, training and somewhat trying to maintain a social life. So, I hope you forgive me for my hardcore slacking.**

 **On a brighter note, I have the next two chapter in this rough draft editing, therefore it shouldn't take me too long to post another one after this! I hope you enjoy this chapter, given it was a kind of a filler, but things for Cash should start heating up. You can only stay innocent for so long when living in our favorite town (;**

 **Review, favorite and follow. xx**

* * *

I was drumming my fingers against the cool steering wheel of my car, tucking a piece of flyaway hair behind my ear. Halsey was playing through my car speakers and I bobbed my head to the music. I aggressively ignored the headache that was pressing alongside my forehead, growing in it's power. I had taken my medication beforehand, though it didn't seem like it was working much. I frowned to myself, not wanting to up the dosage. I was already getting to fatigued from the current amount, I didn't want to speculate on what could do to me.

The long road I was traveling down was unlit, flat for miles. Completely empty, I hadn't seen a car in an hour and it was very calming. I was surrounded by miles and miles of tall trees. Rain pattered against the roof of my car and I relaxed to the noise.

I wasn't sure there was another location where I could find this kind of peace. I've been taking this drive for a while now, even before I was diagnosed and everything went to hell. Anytime I was stressed or upset, I would immediately extract myself from the problem, climb into my car and be gone for hours. My father had grown accustomed to the fact I could disappear for hours and still be driving, therefore he tended not to worry. If he even noticed I left; ever since my mother was sent to Eichen House, he's been clocking in overtime. As much as I tried to not take it personally, it was a difficult take. I couldn't help but decide I was the reason that his wife had gone off the deep end.

I pushed the thought away. This drive was supposed to be stress-free and I could already feel my anxiety rise.

I checked to make sure I was keeping my speed a bit under the limit; to be overly cautious of any wandering animals that might have wanted to take a midnight stroll. I couldn't be the only one enjoying the evening.

At this point, I knew I was going mentally and physically exhausted for school tomorrow. I should have been asleep hours beforehand when I first finished my homework. Though, I was growing irritated, tossing and turning, never fully falling asleep in the fear of nightmares.

I pressed my lips together into a thin line, letting my mind drift off. After my appointment today at the hospital, I couldn't shake the feeling that there was nothing wrong with me. As if I wasn't dying. If anything, it felt like I was stretching out my old skin and adjusting to anew.

My grip tightened on the wheel. I knew I shouldn't second-guess the highly-trained doctors. After all, they were professionals and I was just a teenager who wouldn't stomach the idea of having a brain tumor. I knew I wanted it to be untrue, a mistake, but I knew that was far-fetched.

I was dying and it was _not_ negotiable.

"God," I muttered out loud to myself, reaching out and flipping the radio off. My headache was increasing and I gasped out when a wave of nausea hit me, causing my eyes to begin spilling tears. "No." My stomach turned and my scalp began to burn.

A flash of white light startled me then, causing me to jerk the wheel to the side. The tires under me squealed loudly and I hastily moved the car back into the correct lane, vision regaining.

I was just about to pull over and wade out the pain when my vision melted with another burst of light. Pain stabbed me in-between my eyes and I let out a cry of agony.

* * *

 _I was in a car._

 _However, it was not mine._

 _I sat in the backseat of a familiar car, realization dawning on me. My mother's sedan. It was silent within and I felt a heaviness settle on my shoulders. I gazed out of the window, a fog beginning to settle on the ground, seeping up the sides of the car. I leaned forward, unbuckling my seatbelt and leaning forward in the car._

 _My mother was sitting rigid in the driver's seat, paler than I remembered. Her hair was washed out, almost white and her eyes stared forward. My eyes widened at the sight._

 _"Mom?" I whimpered out, fearful of her and reached out to touch her shoulder. When my fingers grazed her bare seat, I brought it back quickly. She was frozen to the touch. "What is wrong with you?"_

 _"We are here." She hissed out. I visibly shuddered at her cold voice and attempted to glance out of the windshield, though I wasn't able to see anything past the thickening fog and the darkness that pulsed around us._

 _I moved away. "We're almost where?"_

 _Her arm shot forward, pointing out. I strained to see what she was showing me._

 _A tree stump?_

 _I stared at it, perplexed, though now my mother's arm had dropped and her body had grown slack. I grimaced, knowing that she wasn't going to much help anymore and finally opened my door, stepping out._

 _The air was still, no wind and I couldn't hear a thing out here. I shot a look over my shoulder where my mother continued to sit motionless. I turned away, facing the stump and began walking towards it._

 _I was almost to the fallen tree when I heard a snap of a twig behind me. I tightened my fists, whirling around, ready to defend myself. I strained to see in the darkness, though there was nothing behind me. My heart pounded in my chest and it seemed to echo out in the desolate forest._

 _I turned back to the stump, catching movement on the other side. I swallowed the panic rising up my throat and slowly inched over._

 _A woman laid behind the stump, her body leaking blood from deep, various cut. When her bleak eyes landed on me, her scarred mouth craned open, "Help."_

My car halted, causing my head to whip forward and smack on the wheel. My head landed with my sickening crack and everything went dark.

* * *

I wasn't sure how much time had past when I finally gain consciousness.

I let out a moan, hand going to my forehead. My head was pulsing, threatening to deteriorate form the torture, but thankfully the images were long gone now. A warm liquid was spreading down my face quickly and I gritted my teeth together, trying to collect the blood in the palm of my left hand. I eventually gave up, letting it flow freely and struggled to get my seatbelt off. A couple of minutes later, I was kicking open the crumpled door and stumbling out onto the wet grass, rain pouring down.

I was soaked immediately, lying there on my back, struggling to stay awake. My arms were beside me, weak and limp, my right wrist turned in an awkward angle. Fortunately, with the adrenaline that pumped through my veins and the exhaustion spreading down my body made it impossible to feel the pain.

I let out a yawn, wanting to go to sleep right there when another signal of queasiness hit me. I rolled over, pulling my body up with my good arm and dry-heaved onto the grass. It only took a few second until my dinner made an appearance and a long period of time before I felt well enough to scot away from the puddle and wiping at my mouth.

Slightly more alert, I gazed over at my car.

The front of my four-door vehicle was crumpled in, a tree splitting the hood and a wave of a white smoke was slowly climbing into the air. The side I was on had got off a bit easier, though the window was completely shattered. I mourned my car in silence before searching for my phone. When I didn't find it within my bloody, beige coat, I began to slowly crawl towards the car. I needed to call for help and I wouldn't be able to do that without a phone.

"Hey!" A voice called out to me.

Startled, I tried to jump to my feet, my heart racing as a figure ran up to me. My head spun and I could barely focus on the attacks before I dropped to my knees, letting out a pitiful whimper. "Are - are you okay?" I tried to nod, but was unable to. "I just called an ambulance, okay?"

I managed a noise of compliance, glancing up to see a very familiar boy. "Scott?" My voice was raspy, though I was a bit suspicious. I didn't remember seeing anyone on the barren road. With the long, straight path, I would've seen one coming miles away. "W-what are you doing here?"

He squinted his eyes at me while blood continued to pour down my face in an alarming rate. He squatted down, pulling off his sweatshirt. He, then, peeled off the white t-shirt and balled it. I cocked an eyebrow, feeling my gaze run over his stomach before he pulled his jacket back on. He pressed the shirt to my forehead, letting the shirt soak. His eyes were filled with panic.

"Are you okay, Cash?"

I grunted, "Peachy."

He frowned. Everything around me was slowly growing hazy and my eyes dropped slightly. I tried to concentrate on his face. "Do I have a concussion?" I slurred out.

Scott's eyebrow shot up, as if he hadn't thought about it. "Um - maybe. I-I don't know."

I blinked, nodding. "I guess that wouldn't be too bad." The boy narrowed his eyes in question. "It was going to happen anyway."

"What are you talking about?" Scott's head whipped from the road and my growing-limp body.

I looked at the boy. "It hurts."

"Huh?" He seemed to be barely listening before his eyes grew wide. "Oh, hey, you're going to be okay." I shut my eyes, but opened them when I felt his hand on my arm. I barely opened them to see him letting out a hiss of pain.

I looked back down at my arm to see his veins growing black and I was finally at peace enough to slip out of reality into a blissful darkness.


End file.
